Flowers For A Ghost (Sequel To RADIOACTIVE)
by annax3noelle
Summary: Humanity must face the aftermath of their loss to the Espheni, but the cost of their destruction may be far more devastating than the war itself. STORY LINE INSPIRED BY 'THE HUNGER GAMES'


_"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…" _

_–Ephesians 6:10-18_

The world had once again become a different place. Change had returned to mankind in a mass bulk, making it hard for everyone to adjust. People were settled down in homes again with bathrooms and kitchens, paid with money from their jobs. A huge market that sold everything you could need from food to clothes was open to anyone 24/7. People were able to be treated at real, solid hospitals. Public safety such as police and firemen kept people out of everyday harm. Weapons were no longer necessary in daily life and were locked away. There was an organized government and a leader who overlooked it.

Because of the small amount of humans left after intergalactic war now referred to as the Espheni War, this human restoration was in one city called Asphodel. It was named after a place in Greek mythology, a place where ordinary souls were sent to live after death. And that it was. With a population of just over 200,000 people collected from around the globe, most would like to say that they were living a normal, pre-war resembling life.

But that was most certainly not the case.

Everyone was herded into the city like cattle by a thick stone wall that went up to heights that made it impossible to climb. The only way inside or outside was with some kind of aircraft, most commonly a helicopter, but there were none inside of the city. Only the government, stationed about 10 miles away from Asphodel in a land called Shambhala, and those who worked in it had access to helicopters. The rest of the earth outside of the two cities was known as Lemuria, which was a lost land in ancient mythology. Lemuria was like the shadow lands. Nobody would even want to hop the wall if they could because they would just end up as dead as the land and everything that used to live in it.

The homes were small, wooden huts that, before the war, you would see people living in poor third world countries. The roofs weren't strong, so during heavy rainfall, leaks would terrorize the families inside and the floors were just dirt, so a muddy mess would result. Some people would cover the wood on the roof with large leaves collected from trees but they would have to be changed repeatedly which made the task an undesirable hassle. The showers had horrible water pressure and would break all of the time, so most people just used the lake instead. Technology created by the government kept the water fresh and clean, so no one had to worry about getting sick from it. Beds and furniture were run down and uncomfortable, but they held together and served their purposes. The only well-functioning thing in a house was a toilet, only because the rulers didn't want Asphodel to literally rot in shit.

Those lucky enough to have government jobs lived in homes inside Shambhala, so citizens living in Asphodel had much less glamorous careers. There were farmers, people who worked in the markets, doctors, police officers, firefighters, mechanics- only jobs that were necessary. Men were allowed to work at the young age of 13 while women had to wait until they turned 18. They worked long, strenuous hours with very little pay, but thankfully things at the market were usually very cheap. The only expensive items were the different types of meat that the government would ship to Asphodel weekly, but there was never enough meat to feed all 200,000 citizens.

Hospitals would only treat serious medical conditions. Pregnancies, diseases, heart attacks, and deadly infections were taken care of by trained medical staff, but everything else was expected to be treated with supplies from the market at home.

Then lastly, there's the government. As if the living conditions weren't enough, Asphodel and Shambhala live under a harsh dictatorship. Whether it was a violent or a benevolent one was a big question that was argued over and usually concluded as being both, but either way, it was miserable for more than just the obvious reasons.

Miserable because the dictatorship was filled with monsters.

Miserable because those monsters weren't human.

Miserable because this new life was a constant and painful reminder that we had lost our planet to the invaders we had spent years resisting.


End file.
